6-8 Weeks
Toronto, Canada | Film Short
Drama, LGBTQ
Beth, a neurotic 25 year old queer, gets a piercing to try and overcome their fears after getting out of a terrifying relationship, only to have their wounds re-opened when they go back to their abusive ex. 6-8 Weeks examines the cycle of abuse and reminds us a way out is always possible.
10 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
C$1,760
Goal: C$4,500 for production
Beth, a neurotic 25 year old queer, gets a piercing to try and overcome their fears after getting out of a terrifying relationship, only to have their wounds re-opened when they go back to their abusive ex. 6-8 Weeks examines the cycle of abuse and reminds us a way out is always possible.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
6-8 Weeks is a hopeful examination of the cycle of abuse and a reminder that no matter how many times someone returns to an abusive situation, a way out is always possible—healing is always possible.
Lobe piercings typically take 6-8 weeks to heal—this is also the amount of time experts say peak emotional distress after a breakup takes to subside.
8 weeks ago, Beth (24) finally broke up with their abusive girlfriend, Leigh (35), in spite of still being deeply in love with her. Escaping the relationship sends Beth, who has always struggled with anxiety, on a journey of conquering their fears. They get a piercing on their upper earlobe to combat their fear of needles.
8 weeks later, now with a fully healed piercing, Beth decides to reconnect with Leigh, sure that their fallout was Beth's mistake. When the two reconnect, a brutally gory accident occurs, sobering the now bloody Beth to see the reality of their relationship with Leigh.
We believe that we need queer stories in all of their facets. This includes stories that address real uncomfortable social issues in our community.
- Abuse within lesbian relationships isn't uncommon. In fact, occurances of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) are actually reported as shockingly high, with 44% of lesbians reporting that they've experienced IPV. 6-8 Weeks aims to explore this reality in a nuanced, hopeful, but realistic way.
This story is inspired by lived experience.
- As a young queer, I definitely thought IPV was rare in sapphic relationships. I trusted women and queer people implicitly. It's cited often that people return to their abuser on average 7 times before they leave for good. 6-8 Weeks is about the cycle of self-doubt that fuels the return, and the subsequent shame of realizing that you've willingly gone back to a harmful situation. It is about overcoming fears in order to build the confidence to know that you are worthy beyond the shame and embarrassment. Just because you have returned one hundred times, doesn't mean you can't leave now. This story is vital for me to create, right now. It's for the neurotic, scared gays, who doubt that their experience is real. You got this.
As an all queer team, we don't take this subject matter lightly.
- It’s really scary to talk about abuse, and it’s especially scary to talk about abuse in queer relationships. There is so much hatred towards our community, and so much divisive animosity within it, that I feel pressure as a queer artist to only tell stories about perfectly “enlightened” queers. Awareness about domestic violence in our community helps protect queer people. When it is visible, then we can talk about it, and we can prevent it.
How You Can Help!
We must raise a minimum of 80% of our Seed&Spark campaign in order to receive these funds!
CONTRIBUTE to our campaign–no matter how much or how little, every single pledge helps this film get made. Check out our incentives or give any amount you want.
SHARE & FOLLOW our Seed&Spark page by hitting the little heart button at the top right of the page.
FOLLOW US on Instagram @renopiafilms to stay up to date and help us reach more people!
LIKE, COMMENT ON, AND SHARE our posts to help amplify our story.
6-8 Weeks is a labour of love produced by Rachel Renaud and Parker Renaud — a queer married couple who founded Renopia in 2022 — in conjunction with Beatrice Warner, lead producer at Beanduck (founded in 2012). We three have collaborated on several projects, including the sold-out award-winning stageplay, Love the Sinner (known for its iconic dildo puppets!). We centre queer and trans stories in our work, and we want to keep making pieces that address taboos like sex and mental health especially as they relate to the queer community.
Timeline
- We shoot November 20-22!
- The film will be finished by February 2027
- Film Festivals will happen throughout 2027 and into 2028
Budget
Our Budget is $4500
Our Stretch Goal is $6500 — that additional $2000 will go directly to paying our cast & crew!
We know you've seen this graph everywhere, but these numbers are real! Filmmaking is expensive. lol.
This is our second short film. Our first was a 21-minute thriller. In 6-8 Weeks we will be utilizing experimental juxtaposition in our cameras, lighting, and acting tone to create jarring dissonance that culminates to the climax of the ten minute film.
ROM-COM vs. REALITY
The rose-coloured world Beth has built in their head is a stark juxtaposition to the reality of Beth and Leigh’s toxic relationship.
- The film starts with camera techniques, editing, colour, set dec, and costumes that emulate a romantic comedy.
(Do Revenge - 2022)
- The closer Beth gets to Leigh, the more eerily dissevered their perception—and the audience’s perception—becomes. Shots become uncomfortably close-up and strangely angled.
Editing is fragmented, with scenes cut in strange places, quickly, dialogue and sound bleeding from one scene to next scene.
- It’s a jarring contrast to the rom-com, giving the audience an impression that they aren’t privy to the entire story.
When Beth experiences flashbacks during make-up sex with Leigh, they are shaken out of their denial. For the first time they finally understand the harm that their relationship with Leigh has caused.
- The colour goes from a glowing pink hue to grounded and gritty blues, greens, and greys. The editing slows down, allowing for more breath. We fully see Beth’s messy apartment, unkempt hair and makeup, flared-up skin.
(Lost in Translation - 2003)
When Beth says goodbye, the camera focuses on them, not Leigh.
- There are no cuts in editing. There is no music. The actor is unwavering. I don’t view this scene as emotional or romantic, instead I see it as the greatest moment of factual clarity in the film. The first moment of stillness in this unrelenting film is when Beth decides to finally leave the abuse.
SHARE THIS PAGE: seedandspark.com/fund/6-8-weeks
SHARE OUR INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/renopiafilms
Let's do the thing!
Love,
Rachel Renaud, Parker Renaud & Beatrice Warner
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Catering
Costs C$750
Our hardworking artists need to be fed. Covers 1 full meal per day and snacks/coffee for 3 days of shooting. No hanger here!
Locations
Costs C$500
Covers rental fee for our piercing studio, outdoor permit, and apartment locations.
Insurance
Costs C$750
Vitally important! General limited liability production insurance for humans & gear.
Grip & Electric Rentals
Costs C$500
To rent grip & lighting gear and get that twinkle in their eye!
Costume/Props/Set
Costs C$500
Budget for makeup, wardrobe, props, set decoration, and all the pretty things we see.
Sound Design
Costs C$250
To edit and balance our dialogue & sound effects, and integrate our beautiful score.
Score
Costs C$250
To create that beautiful score that cuts straight to our emotional core.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Rachel Renaud
Writer, Director, & Lead Actor (imdb)
Rachel Renaud is a queer non-binary award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and actor, originally from the West Coast, currently based in Tkaronto. They are an alum of Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal’s Young Creators Unit, as well as Teesri Duniya’s Fireworks program. In 2023, they completed their first short film as writer/director, “Convalescence”. It was awarded a “Best Canadian Short” award and was shortlisted for HollyShorts in LA and Rhode Island Film Festival. Since then, they’ve received numerous grants from CCA to write, workshop, and produce their first full-length play, Love the Sinner, a challenging, funny, and heart wrenching two-hander about religious indoctrination and transphobia, which was runner-up for a national Tom Hendry award, and won Most Promising English Text with the Playwright’s Guild of Canada at Montreal Fringe. Recently, they received CCA grants to write two different feature films. Their work often reflects their lived experience as a queer and mentally ill artist with themes of grief, love, and resilience.
Parker Renaud & Beatrice Warner
Producers
Parker Renaud is a writer and producer in Toronto. They earned their bachelor’s degree in Motion Picture Arts from Capilano University. For the past seven years, they have worked in the camera department on major film and television productions including Pet Semetary and Ghosts. They have also produced a 21 minute short film and a 90 minute play with their producing partner, Rachel Renaud. Parker has written several feature films, focusing on genre stories through a queer lens. They are especially interested in exploring and subverting the ways in which queerness is represented as unnatural or dangerous in horror films.
Beatrice majored in film production, graduating with a bachelor in fine arts with distinction from Concordia University in Montreal. In 2012, she opened the highly regarded Beanduck Productions, a Production and self-taping service in Montreal. As Beanduck’s main producer, her focus is always to create the highest production value in the company’s work in the most efficient way possible. With a long history in performance both on stage as well as on a piano bench, Beatrice has always felt immense pride in entertaining audiences, a feeling she carries with her every day at Beanduck Productions.
Raylene Harewood
Lead Actor (imdb)
Raylene Harewood is a Canadian actor from Winnipeg, Manitoba. During her teens, she landed her first professional role as Lil Inez in Rainbow Stage's production of Hairspray. Raylene moved to Vancouver, BC and trained at Studio 58's conservatory acting program. During her studies she performed as Lydia Bennet in the Arts Club's production of Pride and Prejudice, the second most successful play in the Arts Club's 52 year history. Since graduating, Raylene's work has included Margaret Keller on Chesapeake Shores and lead in indie feature All Joking Aside. Her voice can be recognized in the Resident Evil 4 remake as Ingrid Hunnigan. Raylene values honesty and curiosity in her work.
Katerina Zoumboulakis
Director of Photography (portfolio)
Katerina is a director and cinematographer based in Toronto. They love and are passionate about making films that involve LGBTQ and Mental Health issues. Katerina's main goal is to make films that make people laugh at their problems, including their own.
Eish Van Wieren
Costume Designer
Eish Van Wieren is a trans-disciplinary costume designer, playwright and performance artist interested in the crossroads of words, wearables and bodies in space. Queer magic, fashion and transformation are at the center of their work as he SPLaTS onto the stage, page and screen. He holds an MFA in performance creation from York University and holds a NABET 700 and IATSE 873 permit in the costumes department. In Jan 2026 he costume designed “Sweet as Sugar” a TV show for OUT TV currently in post-production. In December 2025 he costume designed "The Crucible" for Earl Haig arts High School in Toronto. His 2025 textile work was part of the group exhibition "Epicentre Revolutions" Eastern Bloc during Montreal Pride in. June 2025 he costume designed the short film "Featherweight" which is currently in post production. His work has been supported by Factory Theatre, Buddies in Bad Time, Can Stage and various levels of arts councils across the country.
Carmen Elle
Composer
Carmen Elle is a queer, non-binary and neurodivergent musician, composer, producer and songwriter based in Toronto. Their composition work appears on the Peabody Award-winning show Sort Of, Grey's Anatomy, Kim's Convenience and Women Who Rock, among others. In 2024, I was nominated for 2 CSA awards for my work on Sort Of, as well as a "Songwriter/Sync Artist of the Year" nod from the Guild of Music Supervisors Canada.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
6-8 Weeks is a hopeful examination of the cycle of abuse and a reminder that no matter how many times someone returns to an abusive situation, a way out is always possible—healing is always possible.
Lobe piercings typically take 6-8 weeks to heal—this is also the amount of time experts say peak emotional distress after a breakup takes to subside.
8 weeks ago, Beth (24) finally broke up with their abusive girlfriend, Leigh (35), in spite of still being deeply in love with her. Escaping the relationship sends Beth, who has always struggled with anxiety, on a journey of conquering their fears. They get a piercing on their upper earlobe to combat their fear of needles.
8 weeks later, now with a fully healed piercing, Beth decides to reconnect with Leigh, sure that their fallout was Beth's mistake. When the two reconnect, a brutally gory accident occurs, sobering the now bloody Beth to see the reality of their relationship with Leigh.
We believe that we need queer stories in all of their facets. This includes stories that address real uncomfortable social issues in our community.
- Abuse within lesbian relationships isn't uncommon. In fact, occurances of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) are actually reported as shockingly high, with 44% of lesbians reporting that they've experienced IPV. 6-8 Weeks aims to explore this reality in a nuanced, hopeful, but realistic way.
This story is inspired by lived experience.
- As a young queer, I definitely thought IPV was rare in sapphic relationships. I trusted women and queer people implicitly. It's cited often that people return to their abuser on average 7 times before they leave for good. 6-8 Weeks is about the cycle of self-doubt that fuels the return, and the subsequent shame of realizing that you've willingly gone back to a harmful situation. It is about overcoming fears in order to build the confidence to know that you are worthy beyond the shame and embarrassment. Just because you have returned one hundred times, doesn't mean you can't leave now. This story is vital for me to create, right now. It's for the neurotic, scared gays, who doubt that their experience is real. You got this.
As an all queer team, we don't take this subject matter lightly.
- It’s really scary to talk about abuse, and it’s especially scary to talk about abuse in queer relationships. There is so much hatred towards our community, and so much divisive animosity within it, that I feel pressure as a queer artist to only tell stories about perfectly “enlightened” queers. Awareness about domestic violence in our community helps protect queer people. When it is visible, then we can talk about it, and we can prevent it.
How You Can Help!
We must raise a minimum of 80% of our Seed&Spark campaign in order to receive these funds!
CONTRIBUTE to our campaign–no matter how much or how little, every single pledge helps this film get made. Check out our incentives or give any amount you want.
SHARE & FOLLOW our Seed&Spark page by hitting the little heart button at the top right of the page.
FOLLOW US on Instagram @renopiafilms to stay up to date and help us reach more people!
LIKE, COMMENT ON, AND SHARE our posts to help amplify our story.
6-8 Weeks is a labour of love produced by Rachel Renaud and Parker Renaud — a queer married couple who founded Renopia in 2022 — in conjunction with Beatrice Warner, lead producer at Beanduck (founded in 2012). We three have collaborated on several projects, including the sold-out award-winning stageplay, Love the Sinner (known for its iconic dildo puppets!). We centre queer and trans stories in our work, and we want to keep making pieces that address taboos like sex and mental health especially as they relate to the queer community.
Timeline
- We shoot November 20-22!
- The film will be finished by February 2027
- Film Festivals will happen throughout 2027 and into 2028
Budget
Our Budget is $4500
Our Stretch Goal is $6500 — that additional $2000 will go directly to paying our cast & crew!
We know you've seen this graph everywhere, but these numbers are real! Filmmaking is expensive. lol.
This is our second short film. Our first was a 21-minute thriller. In 6-8 Weeks we will be utilizing experimental juxtaposition in our cameras, lighting, and acting tone to create jarring dissonance that culminates to the climax of the ten minute film.
ROM-COM vs. REALITY
The rose-coloured world Beth has built in their head is a stark juxtaposition to the reality of Beth and Leigh’s toxic relationship.
- The film starts with camera techniques, editing, colour, set dec, and costumes that emulate a romantic comedy.
(Do Revenge - 2022)
- The closer Beth gets to Leigh, the more eerily dissevered their perception—and the audience’s perception—becomes. Shots become uncomfortably close-up and strangely angled.
Editing is fragmented, with scenes cut in strange places, quickly, dialogue and sound bleeding from one scene to next scene.
- It’s a jarring contrast to the rom-com, giving the audience an impression that they aren’t privy to the entire story.
When Beth experiences flashbacks during make-up sex with Leigh, they are shaken out of their denial. For the first time they finally understand the harm that their relationship with Leigh has caused.
- The colour goes from a glowing pink hue to grounded and gritty blues, greens, and greys. The editing slows down, allowing for more breath. We fully see Beth’s messy apartment, unkempt hair and makeup, flared-up skin.
(Lost in Translation - 2003)
When Beth says goodbye, the camera focuses on them, not Leigh.
- There are no cuts in editing. There is no music. The actor is unwavering. I don’t view this scene as emotional or romantic, instead I see it as the greatest moment of factual clarity in the film. The first moment of stillness in this unrelenting film is when Beth decides to finally leave the abuse.
SHARE THIS PAGE: seedandspark.com/fund/6-8-weeks
SHARE OUR INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/renopiafilms
Let's do the thing!
Love,
Rachel Renaud, Parker Renaud & Beatrice Warner
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Catering
Costs C$750
Our hardworking artists need to be fed. Covers 1 full meal per day and snacks/coffee for 3 days of shooting. No hanger here!
Locations
Costs C$500
Covers rental fee for our piercing studio, outdoor permit, and apartment locations.
Insurance
Costs C$750
Vitally important! General limited liability production insurance for humans & gear.
Grip & Electric Rentals
Costs C$500
To rent grip & lighting gear and get that twinkle in their eye!
Costume/Props/Set
Costs C$500
Budget for makeup, wardrobe, props, set decoration, and all the pretty things we see.
Sound Design
Costs C$250
To edit and balance our dialogue & sound effects, and integrate our beautiful score.
Score
Costs C$250
To create that beautiful score that cuts straight to our emotional core.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Rachel Renaud
Writer, Director, & Lead Actor (imdb)
Rachel Renaud is a queer non-binary award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and actor, originally from the West Coast, currently based in Tkaronto. They are an alum of Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal’s Young Creators Unit, as well as Teesri Duniya’s Fireworks program. In 2023, they completed their first short film as writer/director, “Convalescence”. It was awarded a “Best Canadian Short” award and was shortlisted for HollyShorts in LA and Rhode Island Film Festival. Since then, they’ve received numerous grants from CCA to write, workshop, and produce their first full-length play, Love the Sinner, a challenging, funny, and heart wrenching two-hander about religious indoctrination and transphobia, which was runner-up for a national Tom Hendry award, and won Most Promising English Text with the Playwright’s Guild of Canada at Montreal Fringe. Recently, they received CCA grants to write two different feature films. Their work often reflects their lived experience as a queer and mentally ill artist with themes of grief, love, and resilience.
Parker Renaud & Beatrice Warner
Producers
Parker Renaud is a writer and producer in Toronto. They earned their bachelor’s degree in Motion Picture Arts from Capilano University. For the past seven years, they have worked in the camera department on major film and television productions including Pet Semetary and Ghosts. They have also produced a 21 minute short film and a 90 minute play with their producing partner, Rachel Renaud. Parker has written several feature films, focusing on genre stories through a queer lens. They are especially interested in exploring and subverting the ways in which queerness is represented as unnatural or dangerous in horror films.
Beatrice majored in film production, graduating with a bachelor in fine arts with distinction from Concordia University in Montreal. In 2012, she opened the highly regarded Beanduck Productions, a Production and self-taping service in Montreal. As Beanduck’s main producer, her focus is always to create the highest production value in the company’s work in the most efficient way possible. With a long history in performance both on stage as well as on a piano bench, Beatrice has always felt immense pride in entertaining audiences, a feeling she carries with her every day at Beanduck Productions.
Raylene Harewood
Lead Actor (imdb)
Raylene Harewood is a Canadian actor from Winnipeg, Manitoba. During her teens, she landed her first professional role as Lil Inez in Rainbow Stage's production of Hairspray. Raylene moved to Vancouver, BC and trained at Studio 58's conservatory acting program. During her studies she performed as Lydia Bennet in the Arts Club's production of Pride and Prejudice, the second most successful play in the Arts Club's 52 year history. Since graduating, Raylene's work has included Margaret Keller on Chesapeake Shores and lead in indie feature All Joking Aside. Her voice can be recognized in the Resident Evil 4 remake as Ingrid Hunnigan. Raylene values honesty and curiosity in her work.
Katerina Zoumboulakis
Director of Photography (portfolio)
Katerina is a director and cinematographer based in Toronto. They love and are passionate about making films that involve LGBTQ and Mental Health issues. Katerina's main goal is to make films that make people laugh at their problems, including their own.
Eish Van Wieren
Costume Designer
Eish Van Wieren is a trans-disciplinary costume designer, playwright and performance artist interested in the crossroads of words, wearables and bodies in space. Queer magic, fashion and transformation are at the center of their work as he SPLaTS onto the stage, page and screen. He holds an MFA in performance creation from York University and holds a NABET 700 and IATSE 873 permit in the costumes department. In Jan 2026 he costume designed “Sweet as Sugar” a TV show for OUT TV currently in post-production. In December 2025 he costume designed "The Crucible" for Earl Haig arts High School in Toronto. His 2025 textile work was part of the group exhibition "Epicentre Revolutions" Eastern Bloc during Montreal Pride in. June 2025 he costume designed the short film "Featherweight" which is currently in post production. His work has been supported by Factory Theatre, Buddies in Bad Time, Can Stage and various levels of arts councils across the country.
Carmen Elle
Composer
Carmen Elle is a queer, non-binary and neurodivergent musician, composer, producer and songwriter based in Toronto. Their composition work appears on the Peabody Award-winning show Sort Of, Grey's Anatomy, Kim's Convenience and Women Who Rock, among others. In 2024, I was nominated for 2 CSA awards for my work on Sort Of, as well as a "Songwriter/Sync Artist of the Year" nod from the Guild of Music Supervisors Canada.